MADISON – As the Joint Finance Committee moves ahead today on priorities in the state budget, extra scrutiny must be given to Attorney General Brad Schimel‘s Department of Justice which spends recklessly on frivolous items and struggles to address the state’s rape kit backlog.

“There is a clear trend of the Department of Justice spending recklessly and neglecting to do its job,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesman Brandon Weathersby said on Tuesday. “The Joint Finance Committee has an obligation to give Schimel’s Department of Justice a closer look to ensure taxpayer dollars are going towards keeping the public safe – not promote the Attorney General.”